The Night Before Christmas
by arelissa
Summary: Hitsugaya-taichou was once again up late, doing unfinished paperwork...and it was Christmas Eve... but an unexpected visit from and unexpected friend could perhaps lead to... unexpected events? One-Shot
1. Christmas Eve

Disclaimer: I don't own ANYTHING except the plotline. Seriously... I'm not joking...

**A/N:** Here is a One-Shot, concerning MY favorite little irratible Taichou of the Gotei 13 and the beloved and adorable Momo-chan. I got the inspiration for this COMPLETELY randomly. I'm not even kidding, I was just randomly surfing through Quizilla and then this idea literally POPPED into my head, fully formed. It's sorta like JKR with Harry Potter, ne? , well anyways... Enjoy!

The Night Before Christmas

A small, tired sigh escaped Captain Hitsugaya's lips. He was once again, up in the middle of the night, doing paperwork that his Vice _should_ have already finished. And to make matters worse, it was Christmas Eve.

What sort of person sits in an office and does _paperwork_ on _Christmas Eve_?!

"Apparently, I do," Hitsugaya muttered, answering his own question. He put down his pen, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes, letting out a long sigh.

"Anou… Toushirou?" a soft voice called from the doorway. Hitsugaya's eyes snapped opened and peered at the person peeking their head around the door. It was Hinamori.

"Oh, Momo… what are you doing, still up at this hour?" Hitsugaya asked, sitting up straight again. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"I could ask you the same question," she grinned, and stepped inside his office, sliding the shut quietly behind her.

"Paperwork…" Hitsugaya replied, rolling his eyes and picking up his pen again. He started to write once more, his pen etching steady, flowing shapes across the paper. Hinamori watched him with a slight interest before speaking again.

"You should really rest, Shirou-chan. Tomorrow's Christmas, and Yamamoto-soutaichou decided to let everyone off for a day. You wouldn't want to miss that, now would you?" she asked sweetly, smiling down at her childhood friend. Hitsugaya's pen paused at the use of his old nickname but let it slide as he really didn't have the energy to correct her. Maybe she was right… maybe it is time to go to sleep and relax a bit…

'What are you thinking?!' his Captain Responsibility side kicked in.

'How could you let the paperwork lag off so late?! It'll just weigh you down tomorrow. Better finish it now, so you can _fully_ enjoy your day off,' it stated sniffily.

'But Momo-chan's got a point… you've been overworking yourself. True, Matsumoto could have done paperwork, but at least she knows when to stop and enjoy herself. I mean, look at you… you're up at a quarter to twelve on a _Christmas Eve_ and you're _still_ refusing to go to bed?! If you were doing something else, it might have been acceptable… but _paperwork_?' Hitsugaya's Carefree side said.

'No no no! Responsibility comes first! Self second! That how you were taught, wasn't it? Now FOLLOW THROUGH!' his Responsibility argued.

'Well if you don't take good care of your mind and body, there _won't_ be any Toushirou left to take on that responsibility,' his Carefree-ness countered.

"Anou… Toushirou? Are you ok?" asked Hinamori, pulling Hitsugaya from his little mental dispute.

"…Huh…?" was his well thought of response.

"Are you alright? You seemed a bit… spaced out… a few seconds ago," Hinamori frowned at him, leaning closer for a better look. Hitsugaya leaned back in his chair as her face got closer. He suddenly felt his neck grow hot, and both his Responsibility and his Carefree-ness disappeared as Hinamori's face came dangerously close to his, a slight frown still creasing her forehead.

"A-ah… yeah… yeah, I'm fine… just a bit… er… tired… yeah… tired," he stuttered, blinking furiously, and averting his eyes from Hinamori's face, fighting down the blush that was slowly creeping up his cheeks. He turned his head away and pretended to look for something in his drawer, hiding his face. When he lifted his head, it was to find Hinamori smiling down at him.

"Well, if you're tired, then go to bed," she stated simply, patting his head like she used to when they were still little children and Hitsugaya and thought that becoming a Shinigami was _completely_ boring and pointless and one of the worst things that can happen to a person.

And look at him now… _Captain_ of a Gotei 13 Squad… things _really_ turned out differently.

"Y-yeah, I think I will. Thanks, Momo-chan," he said, standing up and walking around his desk so that he was standing next to Hinamori.

"Sweet dreams, Shirou-chan! And rest up so you can be all excited for the present I got you!" Hinamori exclaimed, putting a hand on his head, and bending down so that her face was on the same level as his, and, to Hitsugaya, uncomfortably close. If he moved forward and inch, their noses would touch.

His emerald orbs stared into the smiling face of one of his best friends, and most trusted Shinigami, even if she wasn't in his squad.

He didn't know what made him do it, or why he did it, but he did it. Hitsugaya leaned in, and kissed Hinamori softly on the lips. He felt the hand on his head, slacken slightly in shock and pulled back to meet a pair of wide, surprised, but please eyes.

"Ah… Gomen na… I just-" he'd begun to apologize, realizing what he'd just done, but he was cut off, but Hinamori, pulling him roughly towards by the shoulders and crashing her lips into his.

Hitsugaya's eyes widened for a moment as they stared at what little of Hinamori he could see, but he soon relaxed, and let his eyes fall shut.

The few moments they shared felt like an eternity. And eternity in which the only 2 beings that existed were Hitsugaya Toushirou and Hinamori Momo.

Though it _felt_ like an eternity, it really wasn't and the moment had to come to an end. And when it came, the 2 pulled apart and stared at eachother. Not knowing what to say, but knowing that really nothing needed to be said. They'd come to an understanding at last. An agreement. They were on the same page now, and they might have been for quite a while, Hitsugaya realized.

He leaned in and pecked her again.

"For the dreams," Hitsugaya said, smiling at Hinamori, his eyes sparkling with pleasure. Hinamori laughed and stood up.

"Are you still going to bed?" she asked, as he walked her to the door. He shook his head but smiled at her.

"I feel a lot more awake now, for some reason," he said, his tone was teasing and cheerful. It had been a while since Hinamori had heard Hitsugaya sound like that, and it made her immensely happy to know that he was happy.

"Ok then, but don't go _too_ late. Remember, I've still got that present for you," she said, turning to face him, a wide grin on her face.

"_Another_ present? I'll look forward to it, then," Hitsugaya stated, his smile growing wider. Hinamori suddenly bent down and placed a warm kiss on his cheek.

"For the dreams," she repeated his words, smiled, turned, and walked off. Hitsugaya watched her retreating back for a moment before sliding the door closed and facing his room. Things had turned out a lot more… interesting than he thought it would be.

'It's gonna be hectic when Matsumoto finds out, but still…' he thought, his gem-like eyes scanning the room. His happy feelings vanished however, when they landed on the half-finished paperwork, still piled on his desk. He sighed and made his way back to his seat. He shook his head.

He was doing _paperwork_ on the night before Christmas…

**A/N: **Yes another one... but I hope you like it, and would REALLY appreciate it if you all who just finished would just push that cute little blueish button down there and type a few things you thought about the story. And I wanted to ask... do you guys think I should have like... an Epilogue, explaining what happened the next day, with Matsumoto and all? I mean, I've got a pretty nice idea of what I want if I'm to do that, but SHOULD I? AND... yes there's more... I'm working on a banner for this story, so if I post an Epilogue, I can post the link with it...

So if y'all wanna see Matsumoto's reaction AND my banner, TELL ME SO!! Or else I won't know! So REVIEW, it's the only way I'll be able to see your lovely opinions.

Ta ta for now!


	2. Epilogue

Lissa-Chan: I don't own it! Get it through your head! Gosh!

Renji-Fukutaichou: Don't you own the plotline though?

Lissa-Chan: Yeah. THAT, I do own…

**A/N:** Alrighty! I got it done! AND the banner too! But you'll have to wait till the end of the story to see it! So, here's the Epilogue, and… it's actually _longer_ than the actual story. Oh well, I had fun writing it. So… On with the Story… or Epilogue:

Epilogue: The Day After Tomorrow

Hitsugaya groaned as he flipped over in bed and clamped his eyes shut against the blinding sunlight. Ugh, another day, another pile of paperw—

Wait a second… Hitsugaya shot up from bed and stared around. It was Christmas, which means… _he had the day off!_ He couldn't keep a grin from sliding onto his face as he glanced out the window at the cold, winter morning, and got dressed.

It was later than he usually had to wake up due to the ample mounds of work that awaited him on his desk, but today, his desk was surprisingly empty. It took him a while to figure out why. The events from the night before came rushing into his head:

The paperwork, the visit from Hinamori, and… the kisses.

Hitsugaya felt himself blush as he recalled distinctly how nice it felt to finally kiss her.

"Ohanyou Taichou!" came a singsong voice as a cheerful redhead waltzed into his office.

"Oh, ohanyou Matsumoto," Hitsugaya greeted with a small grin, nothing like his usual scowl. Matsumoto froze in mid-prance and stared at him.

"Ne ne Taichou, what's got you so cheerful today?" she asked, flouncing over to take a look at him. His eyes had an unusually happy sparkle to them, and his cheeks were tinted with red, and he seemed somehow more rested than usual.

"N-nothing," he said, averting his eyes, his cheeks' color rising.

"Let's go get some food," he said, walking passed her to the door.

"Hai!" she said, following after him with a huge grin on her face. She had a hunch, but it'll have to wait till she sees how he behaves at breakfast. He was acting unusual alright, smiling and greeting whoever greeted him, and occasionally on his own. There was a new spring in his step and his whole figure seemed more relaxed. He wasn't his usual uptight, serious, frowning self… not anymore.

'Maybe because it's Christmas… and since Taichou likes the cold and the snow… he ought to be happy' Matsumoto thought as she stared at the back of her lovely little Taichou on their way to breakfast.

'Or… could it be that little Toushirou has finally found a girlfriend?' she wondered, smirking to herself. Well, she was going to find out soon. And that's a promise.

As they entered the dinning commons and sat down at the long table reserved only for Taichous and Fukutaichous. Hitsugaya picked up his chopsticks and began to eat, but Matsumoto kept a close eye on him, keeping track of this abnormally happy behaviour. He chatted with the other Taichous and even grinned at some others. They all seemed pretty surprised, but all took it in their strides as the fact that is was his favorite season, and it was Christmas.

That is, until Hinamori came by to say hi…

"Ohanyou, Shirou-chan!" she said, smiling down at him with a twinkle in her eyes.

Hitsugaya blushed.

"Momo! O-ohanyou…" he said, not meeting her eyes. Matsumoto raised her eyebrows. He didn't even say anything when she called him 'Shirou-chan' and he usually irked when she called him that. Correcting her, and telling her to show some respect, though Matsumoto knew full well that it was just an act, and he let her call him that when they were alone.

But the blushing and the stuttering were even _more_ than abnormal. What happened to the cool, composed, seamlessly smooth Hitsugaya-taichou? Always on top of things, and always ordering people around, never a doubt in his composure. And not _this…?_

What's going on here?

'Unless…' Matsumoto suddenly gasped, her eyes grew wide as she stared between the 2 good friends.

'Unless… the reason why Taichou is so cheerful is because… him and Hinamori-kun were… That's it! That had to be it! Why else would he be acting so funny?' Matsumoto was sure that it was the reason, but she had to confirm it, and she knew _just_ how to do it to make her little Taichou squirm…

"—Oh! I almost forgot! Here's your present!" Hinamori said, pulling out a neatly wrapped package topped with a small, silvery blue bow with the words:

To: Shirou-chan

From: Momo

On the front of the card that came with it.

"A-arigatou…" he said, somewhat embarresedly, taking the package from her, his cheeks redder than ever.

"Didn't I tell you to sleep well and be excited for it? Go on, open it! I promise you'll love it!" she urged, apparently unconscious of how shy Hitsugaya was becoming.

"Er… ok," he said, pulling on the strings that bound the package together and opening it carefully.

All the Taichous and Fukutaichous were watching him now, interested in what it could be. Matsumoto's smirk grew wider as she watched her Taichou unwrap the present, his face burning.

The wrappings finally fell away to reveal…

"Um… clothing?" Hitsugaya asked, quirking his eyebrows. In his hands were a pair of white snow gloves, a nice, fuzzy beanie-like hat, a white and blue scarf, and a pair of ski-goggles.

Hinamori giggled.

"Open the card," she said, trying to hide her grin. He did, and 2 pieces of paper fell out.

"Snowy Mountains Ski Resort? What is this?" he asked, squinting at the 2 pieces of paper in his hands. Hinamori couldn't hold it in any longer. She laughed, covering her mouth with her hands to try and stifle the sound.

"They're tickets to the ski resort. I've already spoke to Yamamoto-soutaichou. We're going on a vacation, to the World of the Living. Just the 2 of us!" she said, still laughing at the ridiculous look on his face. Hitsugaya's eyes grew as wide as sideplates.

"A-are you serious?!" he asked, staring at Hinamori with shock. She nodded.

"What? Don't you like the present?" she asked, her laughter dying out as she looked at him, confused. Was he angry at her? Did he not want a vacation from all this work?

Hitsugaya saw the look of disappointment on Hinamori's face and instantly regretted asking the stupid question.

"No, no! I love it!" he said, trying to make her smile again. He set the present aside, stood up, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in towards him.

"And I wouldn't have it any other way," he whispered, closing his eyes and resting his chin on her shoulder. He felt her wrap her arms around him too.

"Arigatou… Shirou-chan," she said, smiling slightly.

"Kya!! Kawaiiiiiiiii!!" Matsumoto exclaimed, jumping up and clapping furiously.

"My little Taichou's growing up so fast! It's so hard to believe!" she said, glomping the 2 young people.

It was a moment before Hitsugaya realized that they were still in the dinning commons and almost _everyone_ there had just seen them. He quickly detached himself from Hinamori and looked down, trying to hide the furious blush spreading across his cheeks. Hinamori too was slightly embarrassed by it, and tried to hide her face with her bangs.

"It seemed like only yesterday, that I was first assigned to be your Fukutaichou and look at you now! All—" Matsumoto said, wiping fake tears from her eyes.

"Urusai!" Hitsugaya shouted, a vein pulsing in his forehead, his eyes flashing dangerously, though his cheeks were still a deep, tomato red.

"Hai Taichou!" she replied, unabashed by his harsh command.

"Let's go," Hitsugaya said quietly, grabbing Hinamori's hand and dragging her out of the dinning commons. He could hear Matsumoto bragging loudly about it to anyone who would listen to her.

"Hey! You haven't given me a present yet," Hinamori pouted jokingly, pulling her hand out of his.

"It's back in my office, but here's a small one anyways," he said, leaning over and kissing he quickly on the lips.

"Ack! That was so cute! See see! I _told_ you they were together!" Hitsugaya groaned as he heard Matsumoto shriek.

"C'mon. I don't want to deal with Matsumoto right now," Hitsugaya said, starting to drag Hinamori away from the entrance of the dinning commons. He could still distantly hear Matsumoto excitedly telling people about the 'Big News' and sighed.

He was sure, that by the day after tomorrow, every single living being in the Seireitei would know about him and Hinamori. It's not like he was complaining though…

**A/N**: Tada! There you are! It's FINISHED!! I was seriously thinking about making this into a full length story, and adding the vacation and everything, but Spring Break is at an end, and what with Star Testing coming up, I don't think I'll be able to do it. So… Sumimasen guys!

Anyways, here's the banner:

h t t p : / /i169.p ho t o bu ck et. co m/albums/u220/DogLover258/sigs pics and avs/NightBeforeChristmas.png

**Just fix all the spaces and then it'll work, because won't let me post links... **TT.TT

Image Credits go to:

Whoever made the pic of them kissing, because I couldn't find the name of the person.

And Google, because that's where I found the background image.

All the other stuff is ©Arelissa, so PLEASE DON'T TAKE IT! I worked hard on it!

Ok! That's all! But Read and Review cause that the right thing to do! See you!


End file.
